Carraig Gheal Wind Farm

GreenPower carefully identified the Carraig Gheal Wind Farm site in the uplands of North Argyll, proved its feasibility and secured the necessary land and access rights. We then led the project to a successful S36 consent for 20 turbines from Scottish Ministers in 2008. It began operation in 2013.

GreenPower raised project finance of circa £90m from three commercial banks and the European Investment Bank to build the project. In a joint initiative with Forest and Land Scotland we constructed a 35km access track that doubles as a strategic timber haul route.

In its first ten years, the project generated well over a million megawatt hours of green electricity– enough to boil a kettle 12 billion times, or to drive a modern electric vehicle to the moon and back over 12,000 times.

20

Number of turbines

2.3MW

Power rating of turbines

46MW

Capacity of site

Project details

The construction of the Wind Farm was managed by GreenPower and began in April 2012 with the building of access roads, hardstandings and turbine foundations. GreenPower asset manages the operational project. The turbines are Siemens Gamesa 2.3MW machines, with 9 of them 110m to tip, and 11 to 125m.

One of the key challenges was the access route to the site. Turbine deliveries were made from Campbeltown, nearly 80 miles away. From the A816 the existing road network was not suitable for transporting turbines and so a 35km timber haul road was constructed. This was used initially for turbine deliveries and now serves as a strategic timber haul route. This displaces timber lorries from the public road and has provided a welcome respite for the communities along the west shore of Loch Awe, relieving pressure on public roads and reduced road repair costs otherwise borne by Argyll & Bute Council.

In 2020, GreenPower repaid the commercial debt and secured a new finance partner, RPMI Railpen, which manages £30 billion of assets on behalf of all UK railway worker’s pension schemes.

In 2022, GreenPower secured an extension to the S36 consent from Scottish Ministers taking the operating lifetime out to 40 years.

Community benefits

Community benefit funds are provided to the local community for local initiatives. In addition, GreenPower involves local businesses wherever possible to provide services so that local economic activity is boosted.

Construction of the project involved contracts to local companies like McNaughtons, A&L McCrae and Wind Towers. The maintenance of the project and is carried out by a turbine maintenance team based in Oban and Kintyre.

GreenPower established a community benefit fund that receives funds annually for the life of the Wind Farm. To manage the allocation of funding a management plan has been developed and a Steering Group makes funding decisions. The Steering Group is drawn from the five communities surrounding the Wind Farm.

To date the fund has received contributions totalling £650,000 and has supported over 230 community projects. GreenPower makes contributions to the fund twice yearly in April and October totalling around £70,000.

The Carraig Gheal Community Benefit Fund (CGCBF) is divided between two funding schemes; a micro grant scheme with awards of grants up to £750 available to individuals, constituted and non-constituted groups and the main grant scheme with awards of up to £10,000 available to constituted groups only. An additional £1,000 has been allocated to each community council for additional micro grants of up to £250 available to non-constituted groups only for 2025-26.

These schemes are administered and managed by GreenPower. All grant application enquiries should be directed to [email protected] who issues all application forms, receives all completed applications and is there to provide guidance on the application process.

The Carraig Gheal Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund Steering Group meets at least twice a year to decide which of the main grant applications will be funded. The group is made up from members of the five community council areas bordering the wind farm. These community council areas are Avich & Kilchrenan, Taynuilt, Glenorchy & Innishail, Kilinver & Kilmelford and Kilmore.

The next round of funding for the main grants opens on 1st November with the closing date being 31st January 2026. The Steering Group will then meet at the end of March to decide which grants to approve and by how much.

Application Forms and Guidance

Steering Group Membership

Fund Management and Decision Making Process

What difference is the fund making to local communities?